


Red Tree

by Andil



Category: Original Work
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-07
Updated: 2017-10-07
Packaged: 2019-01-10 06:43:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12293484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Andil/pseuds/Andil





	Red Tree

Somewhere there was a sad forest. It was over the hills, over the lake, through a tight mountain pass in a valley where almost nobody could venture. Nobody except birds.

Birds who didn't go, because the forest was always sad, and pouty. The trees were all grey, their trunks half hung over and never, even on the warmest summer day did many leaves fill their branches. Try as they might, the birds never were able to cheer up the trees.

"You birds don't understand," they would say through crackling limbs, "you don't know what its like to be a tree. You flit and you fly and you can leave this lonely place."

So the trees would remain sad, and the birds stopped trying to cheer up the trees which only made them sadder.

Many years went by without a single visitor to the sad forest, until one day a small bird flew by and dropped a small, red seed right in the middle of the forest. "How curious," the trees would say, "that a bird would litter our ground."

For days the trees weaped at their sad situation. How lonely it was to be a tree in a valley with no visitors.

Slowly, without notice, that little red seed began to grow leaves, sprouting so small under the shadow of the towering grey trees.

So sad were the trees that they never even noticed as the little red plant with leaves began to grow taller, grow bark on its trunk and grow limbs. The little red tree was happy, basking in the little bits of sunlight that made it past the sad trees. Its leaves grew in thick and red, reaching for the sky.

The other trees finally began to notice when the tree grew taller than the others, reaching for the sky, not caring what the others thought of it.

The while forest was abuzz with the sound of crackling limbs, telling about the strange, happy tree in the middle of the forest, that was growing fast and now towering over the rest. "how dare that tree be happy" they were saying, "does it not know how gloomy this valley is, that not even insect or birds come here?"

The tree heard them speaking, but did not care. "But do you not see the sun? The wind blowing my leaves?" The red tree spoke through its leaves, sounding like music, "I have all I need, and I am happy." The tree grew taller, and its leaves grew more full.

Soon the red tree that grew so bright and big, grew flowers. Beautiful pale pink flowers that resembled that of a fuzzy cotton ball filled its limbs until its leaves were barely visible.

The other trees tried to ignore the happy red tree, for paying attention to the red tree and its indifferent happiness began to make them happy in effect, and they didn't like that one bit, for they knew sadness, and were afraid to change themselves.

Then the butterflies came. A hundred at least if not more, erupted all at once through the mountain pass door. They flitted and flew, circled and floated until they landed on that beautiful, happy red tree. They covered the flowers and chattered to the tree as they tended the flowers, then said their 'till next times', and flew back through the pass to the valley.

The red tree, happier than ever, grew seeds in place of is flowers which floated to ground all throughout the forest. Soon there were little red trees sprouting happy leaves, and growing happily towards the sun just like their mother.

The sad trees noticed and began to grow less sad, and for the first time in many years looked forward to something. The red tree brought visitors, and now with more....

The trees, without intention became happy for these new little trees, moved just enough for them to get their own little beam of sunlight and in turn they no longer were bent. Their bark brightened to silver, and their leaves grew in blue. The red trees matched the height of the not so sad trees, and the next year when the butterflies came, they visited all the trees, and left with the story of the forest.

Soon there were birds, bees and deer coming to see for themselves this new forest in the valley. So happy were all the trees the creatures never wanted to leave, and made the valley their home.

The little bird that came before with that very first seed, returned and landed on a silver tree near the tall red tree.

Now speaking through its silvery blue leaves it asked, "how did you know to bring us such a gift as the red tree?"

The little bird stood proud, "why that seed was a gift from the the merry forest, for all knew you could do with just a little cheer."

That was all that was needed, just a little cheer. The red tree was always the happiest, and stood above the rest in the center of the forest. All it took was one little red tree that grew tall, and made the saddest forest, the cheerful forest.

H


End file.
